Meringue, Chocolate, and Kirsch Cream Layer Cake Reviews

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users rating4/4

The first time I made this (exactly as written), it was as a dessert at a birthday party for a friend who is also a chef/owner of an Italian fine dining restaurant. PRESSURE! I made this after work for the party that evening, and it was fast and perfect. Others also brought desserts, but this was the standout. My chef friend complimented it, but suggested adding a little mascarpone to the whipped cream next time. That is the only modification I do when making it, and have had raves on every occasion. I do agree the meringues are more cake-y or like a crepe, but the end result is great whatever the name!

I read all of the reviews before making this, and opted to use 8 egg whites instead of 5, and my meringue layers were still painfully thin. Also, while the layers CONTAIN meringue, they don't look like or taste very much like meringue by the time they are done. The qty. of flour and nuts makes them very cake-y. Even with the extra 3 egg whites, my layers were nowhere near the size of the ones in the photo. The cake tasted very good, and I got a lot of compliments on it, but as written I think this recipe leaves a lot to be desired, and calling it a meringue cake is a bit generous. If I were to make it again, I'd probably triple the amount of meringue, though I honestly doubt I will.

A great Torte but I followed others
advice and increased the egg whites to
8 and made 5 layers. I also increased
the other ingredients accordingly. This
was still not really high but served 8
with good sized portions.

I agree with others
that the cake is too
flat. The amount of
meringue batter for
each round is too
skinchy, which makes
it difficult to get
it spread evenly and
not have it burn in
spots. I made all 4
layers. Got up the
next morning and
realized that the
cake was going to be
awfully low. Made
another batch of
meringue and this
time divided it
between only 3
layers instead of 4.
Much, much better.
The layers are
still very thin, but
spreading is easier
and they bake more
evenly.
So what I would do
if I were making
this again, would be
to DOUBLE the
recipe, but make
only 6 layers
instead of 8.
The chocolate is
pretty strong. It
dominates the flavor
so much that I think
Id try a less
bitter chocolate, or
maybe not so much
next time. The
kirsch is
untasteable. Waste
of money.
Everyone liked the
cake. But if I were
to do it again, Id
be making changes.

While I agree that it's not a true Schwarzwälder Torte, as just a plain old "meringue, chocolate, and kirsch cream layer cake" this was absolutely delicious. I served it for a birthday, and friends told me it was the best cake ever (and I make a mean buttercream frosting ;) plated presentation was really nifty, I thought, also. next time i will try the suggestion below and increase the recipe to make it taller. I found it surprisingly easy to make, and of course it ends up looking very complicated and impressive.
per the reviewer from switzerland, I am thinking I may try adding some kirsch-soaked cherries during the construction.

While I agree that it's not a true Schwarzwälder Torte, as just a plain old "meringue, chocolate, and kirsch cream layer cake" this was absolutely delicious. I served it for a birthday, and friends told me it was the best cake ever (and I make a mean buttercream frosting ;)
plated presentation was really nifty, I thought, also. next time i will try the suggestion below and increase the recipe to make it taller.
I found it surprisingly easy to make, and of course it ends up looking very complicated and impressive.

Made this for the
first (and not the
last) time today. I
followed the recipe
precisely for the
ingredients but did
follow a couple of
other reviewer's
suggestions.
I used parchment
paper instead of
greasing the cookie
sheets and used the
side from a 8"
springform pan for
creating my
meringues.
The meringues are
quite thin when
poured out, I was a
bit concerned, but
they do puff up a
bit in the oven. It
is important to pour
these out as evenly
as possible to
prevent the edges
from overcooking.
Once removed from
the oven, I left
them on the
parchment on racks
for a few minutes
before carefully
pealing them off the
parchment and
placing back on the
racks. The
meringues are soft
and quite cake like
(due to the nuts).
My chocolate didn't
take very long to
cool, so check yours
often to ensure that
you don't let it get
too thick to spread.
Everything else
worked exactly as
written. This makes
a very light, tasty
dessert. On cutting
out the first slice,
it looked EXACTLY
like the picture.
We garnished with
fresh raspberries; a
natural match to the
almonds and
chocolate. I would
be hesitant to add
more chocolate for
fear of ruining the
balance of flavours,
however, I'd be
tempted to add 50%
to the recipe
overall and make 6
meringues and create
a taller dessert.
All in all, if I'd
received this
dessert in any
restaurant, I'd be
quite pleased with
my choice. As a
"home made" item,
this is stellar and
should impress even
the fussiest eaters.

should the meringues remain soft afer cooling!? I might prefer meringues crunchier, but I will correct this next time. well, I guess it did not matter as this is an exeptional dessert, light and delicious ending of a perfect meal. adding more chocolate as suggesed by previous reviewer wont hurt it.

should the meringues remain soft after they are cooled!? well, it did not matter, the cake is perfectly light and special even for a perfect desert after a gourmet meal. next time I would prefer my meringues to be crunchier and not soft, but I will correct that. it's probably even better with a bit more chocolate as the reviewer before me suggested.